Treasury Wine Estates was awarded the Inclusive & Diverse Workplace Award for the second year in a row at the Australian Drinks Awards held in Sydney on Thursday evening.
Mia Lloyd, Head of Trade at Coles Liquor, presented the award to TWE’s General Manager ANZ and Global Channels, Penfolds, Michael Jackson, who was in Sydney to attend the event and also accepted the fan favourite award for red wine for Penfolds.
Ms Lloyd had also been on the judging panel and said the bar was set high for this category, describing the submissions as “outstanding” and making it a difficult call.
Ms Lloyd said: “Congratulations to Treasury Wine Estates. This business demonstrated outstanding employee engagement and consultation, leadership in personal and professional wellbeing, clear example and success of flexibility in working and training and development, innovation through mentoring programs, sustainability and corporate values and principles that incorporated cultural change to diversity and inclusion.”
Upon receiving the award, Mr Jackson said: “We’re thrilled to again be recognised by the Drinks Association as an industry leader in inclusion, equity and diversity. They’re values at the very core of our organisation. Embedding inclusion and equity as a mindset in every role at all levels of our business globally creates diversity of all kinds: gender, cultural background, age, experience and thought. While there’s still more to be done as an industry and society, we’re proud to be leading the charge.”
Inclusion, Equity and Diversity is foundational at TWE. With a vision to build a globally inclusive team, TWE builds upon its existing foundations to “elevate the capability and confidence of leaders, and consolidate our collective commitment to IE&D by integrating it into everything we do”.
In 2021, TWE outlined its DNA: “It’s in our DNA to focus on behaviours which create inclusion and a sense of belonging for all”. Since then, the business says that it has built upon those foundations and engaged with employees at all levels of business. This includes:
• Refreshing its commitment to IE&D, firmly anchoring IE&D in human rights and sustainability
• Lifting the capability and confidence of leaders through specific programs for leaders and Executive Leadership Team (ELT). Today, inclusive leadership training has been delivered to almost 200 people leaders and Empower Me training to more than 25 high potential female leaders.
• Engaging with employees, consumers and communities, such that in 2022, 70 per cent of employees report feeling included at TWE and 80 per cent report they feel they can be their authentic self at work.
• Improving its ways of working to drive inclusion, such as developing its approach to blended work; globalising its Domestic & Family Violence Policy and seeking feedback on Mental Health to improve a sense of belonging and care.
TWE is recognised by the AFR as one of the Best Places to Work , is certified as a Great Place to Work in the UK and TWE Americas was recognised as one of the Healthiest Employers of the Bay Area (4th in the mid-sized firm category).
Drinks Association CEO Georgia Lennon said, “Again and again, TWE impresses with the strides that it makes to create safe, equitable, inclusive and diverse workplaces in Australia and globally. The achievements mentioned here are just a few of the initiatives at play at TWE, which is testimony to just how embedded IE&D is at this leading workplace. They are a worthy winner of this award again this year.”
Ms Lennon also made mention of Lion's submission, Respect at Lion which was runner up for the award.
She said: "The judges were impressed with the innovative approach in Lion's submission as well as the rigour undertaken by the business to actively embed a deep culture of respect via education and leadership engagement with employees at all levels of the business. It showed an advance level of maturity, which focused on behaviour, moving beyond identity.”
The Drinks Association congratulates Treasury Wine Estates on this award which was sponsored by Coles Liquor.
All the winners from the Australian Drinks Awards are available here:
Photos by Belinda Rolland